Scotland’s biggest teaching union will ballot members over potential strike action in Glasgow.
The EIS will open a ballot on January 6 as it looks to pressure the council into reversing cuts to teaching numbers passed earlier this year which could eventually see 450 jobs lost, with the figure already down by 120 this year.
The announcement comes just weeks after the Scottish Government’s budget for the next financial year increased funding for local authorities by around £1 billion.
EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said the ballot was a “huge test of credibility” for the council, the government and local authority body Cosla.
“With the ink on the budget agreement, and the pledge on teacher numbers, barely even dry, the largest local authority in Scotland has yet to confirm it will abide by the terms of the agreement,” she said.
“Nationally, we have already seen another local authority, Falkirk, take its own plans for deep cuts to education off the table following the budget agreement between the Scottish Government and Cosla.
“The city of Glasgow must now follow suit, cancel its programme of teaching cuts, and confirm that it will meet its obligations under the budget agreement.
“If the council fails to do this by the new year, it faces the prospect of strike action by Glasgow teachers who are angered by the impact of the cuts to learning and teaching provision already, who will be outraged if Glasgow City Council reneges on the agreement in respect of the draft budget, and who remain determined to fight for the future of education in the city, in the best interests of the young people of Glasgow.
“The time is now right for Glasgow City Council to show a bit of festive cheer, and make an early new year’s resolution to meet the terms of the budget agreement by cancelling its programme of education cuts.”
The union’s secretary in Glasgow Jane Gow said: “Glasgow City Council can end the prospect of strike action in schools at a stroke, by confirming that it will abide by the budget agreement reached between the Scottish Government and Cosla.
“The council must deliver on this pledge, and meet its obligations to the learners, teachers, parents and carers within the Glasgow schools’ community.”
A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: “We have received notification of the intention to ballot and await the outcome in the new year.”
The council previously said: “We acknowledge that Glasgow’s portion of last year’s funding from the Scottish Government has now been released.
“This amount was factored in when the council’s budget was set in February.
“We continue to engage with the Scottish Government regarding next year’s census figures.”
A Cosla spokesperson said: “The agreement between Scottish Government and Cosla to work together towards maintaining teacher numbers at 2023 levels is Scotland-wide.
“Ultimately decisions are taken at an individual council level where appropriate staffing levels will take account of local metrics and local needs, like falling or rising school roles, measures of deprivation and targeted funding for specific interventions.
“Scottish Government provided a range of example exceptions to this agreement where local circumstances dictate.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government is determined to increase teacher numbers in Scotland’s schools, which is why we have reached an agreement with local government to restore teacher numbers to 2023 levels next year.
“The budget, if passed, will make £186.5 million available to do this. It will also include an additional £28 million for local authorities to help support additional support needs, which can be used by authorities to buy in additional staff, such as ASN teachers.
“We welcome our new collaborative agreement with Cosla which is predicated on trust and a shared commitment by the Scottish Government and local authorities to work together to restore teaching posts, freeze learning hours, make meaningful and quick progress on reducing class contact time for teachers, and create a new joint education assurance board to improve education.”
